Calligraphy with the Bellas

Last weekend I finally got to join a workshop I have always wanted to take part in; a calligraphy workshop. No, not Chinese calligraphy. This one includes nibs, inks, cursive letters, and flourishes! Ah, dream come true!

The workshop was held at Cafe Demitasse and by the bellas of La Bella Scriturra.

When I entered the room (late), I saw bottles of ink and nib holders on the table. That got my blood rushing and I was more than eager to start learning!

Every student was given two envelopes. One contained our worksheets and the other contained our nibs, pen, and pencil.

And we all went through the basics of the basics, learning Nib Anatomy, how to dip properly into ink, what angle the pen should be, and other things.

One thing we were all surprised to learn was that we all needed to use our spit on our new nibs!

There was an awkward moment when we all had to spit on tissue paper and rub our nibs with it but we were all excited to get started, so spit and rub we did!

After learning how to assemble our pens, everyone started working on their practice sheets. With the guidance of the bellas, the activity was both enjoyable, peaceful, and very educational.

We practiced strokes with pencils first, then with ink. Heavy when going down, light when going up. It took a while for me to get used to doing it, and I couldn’t really follow the outlines… but I think I did pretty well!

I was a very serious student. Haha!! The activity was very calming, just feeling the sharp end of the nib touch paper and running it across the surface… it has an effect on me!

Nearing the end of the workshop, we were given blank board paper that we had to write on. It was going to be our output card and the bellas held a contest for who they think did the best.

During this time, my hands were shaking from the cold, from the practice strokes, and from wanting to pee so badly. I didn’t do very well and I didn’t win. The winners’ (there were more than one) works were beautiful, though. They deserved their win!

All in all, the workshop was a success! I definitely got what I needed to learn, and more! Now, I have the necessary equipment to start and to continue practicing and I now know what kind of paper to use!

Many thanks to the Bellas and I hope to join another of your workshops in the near future!

Check out the La Bella Scriturra website for more information on these lovely ladies and to check if there are workshops happening near you!

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2 thoughts

My friend told me you are into calligraphy too. Anyways, I joined a workshop too here in Cagayan de Oro and had the same series of activities (even had the exact sequence). LOL I just couldn’t find your final output above. 😀